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BETWEEN YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW
smaller and more rugged to more closely
fit the military’s vision for coming con-
flicts. The desire to develop these lighter,
leaner capabilities comes from the need to
support forward surgical teams in provid-
ing life-sustaining care to casualties for
up to 72 hours.
In practice, the ECLS can be used by
surgical teams to support lung function
and to operate as a vital organ substi-
tute as well—specifically for kidney and
liver function—in casualties with severe
injuries. Despite their promise, current
iterations of the ECLS are heavy, bulky
and extremely difficult to transport effec-
tively. However, efforts are underway to
reduce the size of the machine from some-
thing currently resembling a tall filing
cabinet to one resembling a small, hand-
portable generator. Further, researchers
are attempting to minimize the number
of medical staffers required to physically
operate the machine—currently five or
six people—with the ultimate goal being
development of an automated closed-loop
organ support system.
And yet, of all these fast-emerging
products, it is the development of auton-
omous and unmanned capabilities that
captures the imagination and perhaps
holds the most promise. Such technolo-
gies facilitate the synergy of the overall
combat effort and allow for the kind of
hand-in-glove communication critical
for resupply efforts and other maneuvers
that ultimately support the warfighter.
Imagine, for example, the develop-
ment and deployment of military-grade
drones charged with carrying blood
to far-forward areas. Such technology
would allow for the transport of lifesav-
ing capabilities without the potential
human cost of transport. Further still,
the greatest and most immediate benefit
of such technology may be in deliver-
ing damage control and resuscitation
technologies to the combat service mem-
ber at the point of injury.
To that end, and as an example, the
Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency (DARPA) continues work on
the Aerial Reconfigurable Embed-
ded System (ARES), which has been
under development since 2013 and is
essentially a massive unmanned drone
designed to carry a slew of different
mission modules. Able to transport up
to 3,000 pounds of supplies, the ARES
could make a sizable impact in medical
delivery and resupply efforts.
Here also the concept of automated vas-
cular access comes into play. Researchers
are developing miniaturized robotic
units that could potentially be strapped
to an injured warfighter’s leg and
then—using ultrasound—automatically
identify and access the correct vessel in
a casualty’s leg to supply fluids or deliver
medication. Automating relatively sim-
ple but time-consuming medical tasks
like this could save many more lives
on the battlefield than before, enabling
greater resilience and more fully realiz-
ing the sustainability of a smaller, leaner
forward unit. Such technology is likely
between one and three years away.
CONCLUSION
While no future can ever be fully and
correctly forecast, we believe the path
that CCCRP is charting right now—
using the aforementioned technologies
and others, too—reveals the blueprint
by which to operate. It is a blueprint
centered on trauma-based psychologi-
cal demands, warfighter requirements,
technology and for ward-leaning excel-
lence in scientific research. It’s how we
must compete in a time when the future
battlefield may not be as far away as
NO PILOT? NO PROBLEM.
This artist’s rendering shows the ARES, under development by DARPA and designed to operate as
an unmanned platform capable of transporting up to 3,000 pounds. ARES could carry a range of
payload modules, including cargo and life support gear, for delivery to troops in austere battle-
fields. (Image courtesy of DARPA)
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96
Army AL&T Magazine
April - June 2018